Report Summary
The Chair of the Scottish Police Authority launched a national conversation on the potential use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) in Scotland in June 2024. This paper aims to provide a summary of the available information on the use of LFR in a policing context.
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Potential Use of LFR by Police Scotland
The implementation of LFR by Police Scotland must support the delivery of key strategies, priorities and plans, including:
- Strategic Police Priorities
- Joint Strategy for Policing 2023
- Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2023
As noted previously, LFR may compliment traditional policing techniques. In particular, it may be used where the benefits are proportionate and necessary in balancing the rights and collateral intrusion of an individual, with keeping the public safe. This can be applied by prioritising high-risk/high-harm incidents or individuals, with risk assessments considered on a case-by-case basis for all other potential deployments.
The SLWG propose any considered use of LFR is guided by a set of ‘Principles for Use’ as part of a detailed Live Facial Recognition Policy.
The key focus of the SLWG was to consider and evidence “Use Case” examples of how LFR can be applied to Scottish policing. Workshops were held with key Police Scotland business areas including the Chief Data Office, Local Policing, Intelligence and the Policing in a Digital World programme. Three such “Use Cases” are outlined below:
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Use Case 1 – City/Town Centre Nightlife |
Potential Public Safety and Policing Benefits Realised
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Deployment of LFR, during specific timeframes, in populated areas where analysis has highlighted heightened threat, where perpetrators target females and there is a risk of sexual or violent altercations. |
Prevention - deterrence effect, minimising the risk of offending in the area of the deployment.
Protecting women and girls from the risk of harm.
Public Confidence - enhancing public confidence in Police Scotland’s commitment to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Detection of offenders - identifying perpetrators who are wanted or in breach of court orders, bringing them to justice prior to the commission of additional offences.
Efficiencies - the use of technology maximises efficiency, enabling officers to focus on a greater range of policing priorities to promote public safety. Additionally, early identification and intervention would mitigate subsequent costs in public inquiries should a significant adverse incident occur.
Effectiveness - technology is more likely to successfully process significant volumes of data to identify and safeguard people in large groups with less concern about human limitations e.g. fatigue, incapacity to physically scan and recognise individuals amongst hundreds of people. |
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Use Case 2 – High Risk Missing Persons (e.g. young children, vulnerable persons, i.e. elderly, dementia sufferers, etc.) |
Potential Public Safety and Policing Benefits Realised
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Deployment of LFR, e.g. at transport hubs, or where intelligence supports a likely location, to expedite Police Scotland’s ability to safeguard and support vulnerable or missing persons. |
Public Safety / Safeguarding - identifying and locating vulnerable individuals prior to them coming to harm.
Public Confidence - successful location of subjects and protection of their ECHR Article 2 Right to Life / prevention of offending in a timely manner will support or enhance public confidence in the police.
Expediting identification of potential offences and detection of offenders e.g. where the person located is subject of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation.
Efficiencies - the use of technology maximises efficiency, enabling officers to focus on a greater range of policing priorities to promote public safety. Additionally, early identification and intervention would mitigate subsequent costs in public inquiries should a significant adverse incident occur.
Effectiveness - technology is more likely to successfully process significant volumes of data to identify and safeguard the people in large groups with less concern about human limitations e.g. fatigue, incapacity to physically scan and recognise individuals amongst hundreds of people.
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Use Case 3 – Largescale Indoor Events |
Potential Public Safety and Policing Benefits Realised
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Deployment of LFR at indoor events where large numbers are expected to identify known individuals who pose a risk to public safety, potential acts of terrorism, or those subject to bail conditions or restriction orders preventing their attendance at the event (e.g. RSOs, Counter Terrorism watchlists, etc.).
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Public Safety / Safeguarding - identifying, locating and arresting those who pose significant risk to attendees i.e. Registered Sex Offenders, Counter Terrorism subjects of interest etc.
Prevention - the known presence of LFR will have primary and secondary prevention benefits.
Public Confidence - successful location of those who pose a risk to attendees will support or enhance public confidence in the police.
Efficiencies - the use of technology maximises efficiency, enabling officers to focus on a greater range of policing priorities to promote public safety. Additionally, early identification and intervention would mitigate subsequent costs in public inquiries should a significant adverse incident occur.
Effectiveness - technology is more likely to successfully process significant volumes of data to identify and safeguard the people in large groups with less concern about human limitations e.g. fatigue, incapacity to physically scan and recognise individuals amongst hundreds of people.
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